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Test Your Knowledge About Outdoor Recreation!
1) Which of these activities are considered outdoor recreation?
a. Gardening
b. Canoeing or kayaking
c. Hiking or walking
d. All of the above
2) Which U.S. State has the highest biodiversity (variety of plant and animal species)?
a. California
b. Texas
c. Arizona
d. New Mexico
3) Which of these items is NOT necessary to bring on a hiking or camping trip?
a. First Aid kit
b. Water
c. Television
d. A map
4) What is the fastest speed ever recorded on a mountain bike?
a. 130.7 miles per hour
b. 20 miles per hour
c. 5 miles per hour
d. 300 miles per hour
5) How much time did Americans spend visiting National Parks for recreation in 2009?
a. 1,000
b. None
c. 100,000
d. 1 billion
Go on a microhike!
Hiking through the woods is great exercise, and it’s fun! Have you ever stopped to see the tiny creatures and plants around you? Try going on a microhike!
What you need:
- An adult
- Sturdy boots or sneakers
- Water
- Snacks
- Rain jacket (if rain is in the forecast)
- Backpack
- Measuring tape or ruler
- Magnifying glass (optional)
- Camera or notebook and pencil (optional)
What to do:
- Find a nature park near you using Nature Find. Gather some friends and family members, pack up your supplies and hit the trail!
- Along the hike, keep a lookout for areas on the ground that look interesting.
- When you find one, stop and take out your measuring tape or ruler. Measure a space on the ground that is about 3 feet by 3 feet.
- Get close to the ground and look around. Use a magnifying glass if you have one. How many interesting plants, animals, rocks, mosses, lichen and insects can you find in your space?
- Take some pictures (if you have a digital camera, use the macro feature and hold very still while taking them), or draw what you find in your notebook.
*Be sure to prepare for and check yourself for ticks when visiting the woods. Learn more.
National Play Day
You’re never too old (or young) to have fun! Did you know that there are more than 1,700 playgrounds across the country?
Kids and families across the United States will help save play by celebrating World Play Day 2010 from September 18-26 and organizing games, activities and events at their local playgrounds.
Outdoor playgrounds help kids have fun, stay healthy, build community and connect with nature.
Find a play area in your community.
Image courtesy of ManchesterNH.gov.
Learn fun facts about getting outdoors!
- Spending time outside can make you healthy! Research shows that outdoor activity can help boost your immune system (help you fight germs), keep a healthy weight, prevent the disease called diabetes, and build strong bones and muscles!
- On National Walk to School Day, October 6, 2010, kids all over the country will walk and bike to school to improve their health and the environment. Last year, more than 3, 300 schools across the country participated.
- Have you ever gone fishing on a bright and sunny day? The biggest fish ever caught with a fishing rod in freshwater (water without salt) was a 7-foot long, 7-foot wide Giant Freshwater Stingray in Thailand. It took 13 grown men to pull the fish out of the water!
Top image: Courtesy of the Children and Nature Initiative and Audubon Society. Second image: Courtesy of National Environmental Education Week. Third image: Marine stingray, courtesy of NOAA.
Learn cool tips and tools about outdoor recreation!
Tools to Help You Get Outdoors
- Find a local campground
- Family-friendly outdoor activities
- Online activities from the National Park Service
- Find a playspace in your community
- Find nature activities
- Safety tips for hiking and camping
- Top 10 neighborhood games
- Canoeing and kayaking for kids
- Learn about rock climbing
Image courtesy of New York State Department of Conservation.
Tips On What To Do
- Participate in National Public Lands Day or Play Day 2010 on September 25!
- Join the Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts
- Start a Walking School Bus: walk or bike to school on Walk to School Day, October 6, 2010
- Start a garden
- Become a Junior Ranger at a National Park
- Learn how to fish
- Find out what stars are in tonight’s tonight’s night sky. Head outside (in a safe area) to take a look!
Image courtesy of Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
Quiz Answers
1) d. All of these activities are considered outdoor recreation. Others include fishing, bird-watching, swimming, rock climbing, playing outdoor sports and even playing on a playground. Spending time outdoors helps us get exercise, relieve stress, stay healthy and use our imaginations. Get outside and explore today!
2) a. California has the highest number of plant and animal species in the country! Local landforms, climate and soil differ throughout the State, creating many different types of habitats – mountains, oceans, coasts, deserts and even rainforests! What plants and animals live in your neighborhood?
3) c. A TV might be fun at home, but it won’t help you outdoors! Always pack the essentials when you go exploring. You should bring a First Aid kit in case of injury, a map to prevent you from getting lost, extra food and water to stay healthy, sunglasses and sunscreen to prevent sunburn, extra clothes and a rain jacket in case of bad weather, and a flashlight for the dark.
4) a. In 2007, Markus Stöckl, a mountain biker from Austria, reached a speed of 130 miles per hour on his bike – the wind speed in a medium-sized tornado! He set the record while biking down a snowy slope in Chile, South America. Sound extreme? It was! While some mountain biking is extreme, the sport can also be enjoyed on the trails of your local park.
5) d. Americans spent more than 1 billion (1,000,000,000) hours visiting National Parks for outdoor recreation last year! National Parks are great places for picnicking, hiking, camping, climbing and canoeing. There are 58 National Parks in the United States.
